Last year my wife took her car in to the local LS store to get her snow tires (on separate rims) put on, just as she has done in the last 20 years dealing with LS. The car is a '95 Lumina, with about 38,000 miles. While changing a rear wheel, he "finds" a drop of brake fluid. He informs my wife, and says the car needs a "brake cylinder job" at $149.95. He offers to call over a brake man. She says that she will drive the car home and confer with me since she was unable to contact me by phone. The fellow says, "Oh no, mam, this car is too dangerous to drive!"
So she tells them to go ahead with the "repair." This is about 11 A.M., and they cannot get to the job until 2 P.M.in the meantime she gets ahold of me, and I call them on the phone at noon, and tell them I need, and will be down to get the car. I am there at 12:10 P.M., and the car is up on the rack, with rear wheel off, cylinder dismantled, and the shop door locked. Repair people are out to lunch.
Unfortunately I had to leave, so the "repair" was completed. Then the crowning blow came when I got my bill at the end of the month... Another $48. They had talked her into having the studded tires scarfed as they would be much safer on ice. This was the 6th season for the snow tires.
As my son said, they would not have tried to pull this on him, or me. They took advantage of a woman's trust, and in the process lost a 20 year customer. (We have a total of 4 vehicles).
Bob
Milton-Freewater, Oregon
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